A YOUNG carer told a court she saw her boss stuff food down an elderly man's throat until he choked and died.

A YOUNG carer told a court she saw her boss stuff food down an elderly man's throat until he choked and died.

Kelly Fitzgerald was giving evidence on the second day of the Bodawen Nursing Home manslaughter trial.

Ormskirk man William Pettener died at the home in Tremadog, near Porthmadog, on April 12 last year.

Care assistant Kelly Fitzgerald said she was standing only a few feet away from Matron Avola Humphreys and saw her spoon food into the mouth of Mr Pettener that day, despite the fact he was lying down.

Miss Fitzgerald, who was 17 at the time, said: "She wasn't allowing Bill time to swallow. Bill started to cough. It was a sort of gurgling sound because of the food in his mouth."

After a number of coughs, Miss Fitzgerald said Mr Pettener started choking and took a big gasp of air.

Miss Fitzgerald told Caernarfon crown court: "His face started to draw in and he was going a bluish colour around his lips."

She then heard Humphreys say: "I think we're losing him," before running off to get an oxygen supply.

Humphreys, 61, of Dolgellau denies the manslaughter of the 94-year-old retired engineer.

She also denies abusing and mistreating four other residents while working at the home between September 2003 and May 2004.

Miss Fitzgerald told the court Mr Pettner had suffered bouts of extreme pain and refused food before the alleged incident.

She said after refusing his lunch she informed Humphreys, who said she would sort him out later.

Under question from Peter Hughes, QC, prosecuting, she said: "The way she put the food in his mouth was so fast, he couldn't breathe and it would choke him.

"It's common sense when you're feeding somebody and they are not feeding properly that you check their mouth to see it's not blocked." On another occasion, Miss Fitzgerald said she saw Humphreys manhandling Alzheimer sufferer and resident Eric Cartwright, 86, who had wanted to go to the toilet, by grabbing the back of his neck and his jumper and hair, pulling him back to sit ona chair.